Ashoka
Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School
The Inspired Teaching Demonstration School is based in the fundamental knowledge that children are inherently good and have an innate desire to learn, that every child can be successful in a school context—and that children’s energy, unique talents, and individuality are assets, not obstacles. The Inspired Teaching Demonstration School believes that every student possesses the ability to think critically, learn and understand information, and solve complex problems—and that students should spend their time in school engaged primarily in these kinds of activities. Within the walls, young people learn to read and write and achieve at high levels without having to surrender their intellectual curiosity and passion for learning.
Zoe Duskin and Deborah Dantzler Williams
Zoe and Deborah are lifelong educators having worked in the public and private school sectors for a total of more than 40 years combined. The range of experiences they have had teaching and serving as lead administrators for students from preschool through high school has led them to invest their collective energies toward the creation of a teaching and learning community that serves students in public schools. Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School is committed to the public purpose of providing an outstanding progressive education for a diverse community of students incorporating the academic, social, emotional, and core citizenship skills essential to fostering self-determined learners. The additional and critical mission of preparing teachers to implement this philosophy across the city is an innovation that serves to increase the availability of this high quality instruction and further the benefit for the broader community. The deliberate focus on school culture further distinguishes the Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School program and enhances the overall experience of students reaching substantially beyond the traditional boundaries of the school curriculum to confirm the importance of building mutually respectful, personal relationships. Their work as social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs has ranged from embracing the opportunity to serve on the Founding Group and founding staff of an innovative charter school to drafting and implementing systems for family and student engagement, assessment and demonstrations of learning.